The Sweeper (August 18)

In English Non-League action, It’ll Be Off looks at the NPL results, in his usual inimitable style: “Bradford Park Avenue started the season in some style, humping Prescot Cables 4-0. Stuart Rudd scored twice, and no doubt Bob Blackburn is sat in an office somewhere desperately trying to wank his pathetic, flaccid cock back to life so he can ejaculate his moronic opinions on to a message board somewhere.”

101 Great Goals has the video highlights of Sunday’s English games.

EPL Talk is far too kind in his description of Man City’s new away kit, described as a ‘salmon color’, but which I’d call ‘vomit orange’.

And speaking of weird looks, A More Splendid Life captures David Bentley’s curious ‘do perfectly, describing it as a “weird 1940s era pilot haircut” and wondering how it played its part in Spurs’ disappointing start to the season: “Bentley tried to focus but his hair was distracting him. And his anger toward this giant freak-jaw Wheater. And his stylist. The thing was crusting up, like it was crisco.”

The Football Bog Blog continues its tour, giving us a look at Seaton Deleval Amateurs’ facilities.

Paul Wilson debunks the claim that the Championship is the fourth most popular league in Europe, by doing some basic maths about average and aggregate attendance.

North America

Sergio Tristan looks at what Chivas Guadalajara need to do to turn their season round in Mexico.

USA Soccer Spot says Bruce Arena is the right choice for the Galaxy. I suppose things can’t get worse there.

Atlanta is the latest team to join next year’s Women’s Professional Soccer league in the U.S., while Arsenal’s coach warns the best English players could be lost stateside soon.

Hey, TD…nothing on the recent trouble with Sector Latino and the Chicago Fire organization? I was surprised to not hear your thoughts on it. We here in Portland had a banner up for our last game showing support here:

Hey Cap Ap, the banner you guys made is awesome, and an admirable show of solidarity. Everyone in Section 8 I’ve talked to gives you considerable credit.

I’ll write about the Sector Latino situation eventually. It’s a very difficult thing for me to address in this public space, given how intimately I’ve been involved in the dealings with the club and Sector Latino over the past week. It’s also why this blog has barely been updated in the past week and I’m behind on email to everyone who’s sent things in — it’s taken up almost all of my time, and drained me considerably. But now I’ll have to write something up here as this is doubtless confusing many readers unaware of the situation!

Thanks again for the support from Portland, and to DC fans at the last game as well.

About the Man City’s new away kit… I completely agree with you. When I first saw it, I thought that I’m looking at AC Milan. Whoever draw that up had no idea of the club’s history and/or tradition. It’s just awful.